The Volta River Authority (VRA) has hinted that it might use two more turbines by October this year following the steady increase in the water level in the Akosombo Dam. The Plant Manager of the Akosombo Generation Station of the Hydro Generation Department, Mr K.B. Amoako, who made this known, said since mid July, the water in the dam had been increasing steadily by between 0.01 and 0.03 feet, bringing the current water level to 236.24 ft as of Tuesday. He was briefing Muslim leaders drawn from the Sunni, Tijjaniyya and Shia sects who visited the Akosombo Hydroelectric Plant on Tuesday to learn of the current situation of the dam, the operations of the plant and offer prayers for God's intervention to send more rain to fill the dam. The delegation was taken through a guided tour of the hydroelectric plant and the dam. The visit was organised by Eanfoworld Ghana for Sustainable Development, a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with Muslim leaders. Mr. Amoako said the steady increase in the water level occasioned by the flow of water from the catchment area suggested that the water level could increase by five percent or more daily by October this year. On the effectiveness of the turbines, he said the six turbines were in good shape because they were changed yearly from 2000 to 2005. Therefore, he said, if the water level improved by October, the turbines could function efficiently, adding that "what we need is water to run the turbines". Mr Amoako explained that the VRA decided to use two out of the six turbines now because the water level had gone below the maximum level for all of them to operate efficiently. He stressed that the closure of the other turbines was to save them from a possible damage as they could not carry the needed water to generate power. Mr Amoako said before the recent energy crisis, the Akosombo and Akuse hydroelectric plants supplied between 60 and 65 percent of the country's power, but now they provided between 30 and 35 percent. He said the two turbines generated between 260 and 280 megawatts of power. He said engineers were on 24-hour duty to regulate the machines to ensure constant generation of power and prevent any damage to machines. Mr Amoako bemoaned the indiscriminate felling of trees and sand winning along the catchment area of the dam, which had adverse effect on the dam. He appealed to the perpetrators to desist from the act. The Executive Secretary of Eanfoworld, Alhaji Alhassan Abdulai, commended the VRA officials for their good work, and asked them to keep it up. He said Muslims were concerned with the energy situation in the country, and had been praying for the improvement of the situation in their various mosques in the country. He said the visit was, therefore, to see at first-hand the current situation and the efforts being made to address the situation. An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musah Issah, prayed for more rain in the catchment area to fill the dam, and asked God to guide the VRA workers in their operations. He commended the government for the various interventions taken to address the energy situation. Source: Daily Graphic